[Chapter 53] The Expected Outcome

"Where did you hear that a thief broke in last night?"

Megara, surrounded by the student council members, was about to explode.

She couldn't understand how things had turned out this way. She had set a trap to frame Neris Trude, but that annoying girl had slipped away, and now she, the daughter of the Rikendros Duke, was being interrogated in the student council room for a trivial reason?

"Didn't you hear? Where did you hear that a thief broke in?"

When Megara didn't immediately respond to a student council member's question, Natasha asked coldly.

Megara tried to remain calm and said, "One of my servants is friends with a servant who cleans the teachers' offices, so I heard the news as soon as morning came. It's not a small matter. Maybe my innocent friends will be humiliated, and who knows what the thief will do next, so I thought I should inform you quickly. But if you speak to me like that, I feel offended."

Natasha thought Megara's words were ridiculous. Who did she think she was, daring to inform the student council?

Considering the Rikendros Duke's influence, Megara might enter the student council in a few years, but for now, she was just a lowly 1st-grader.

'That's because of her high social status.'

The words of the noble girl from last night echoed in Natasha's mind.

It was laughable. A duke's daughter, indeed!

But Megara's behavior had been annoying her since earlier.

Yes, Natasha wasn't one to pick on children without reason. She just... needed to teach a lesson to a noble lady who didn't know her place. It was her duty as a senior and a duchess.

So, she pointed out a flaw in Megara's story that others hadn't noticed.

"What bad thing? How did you know the exam paper was missing? The servant who found the open lock reported it to Sheridan, but they didn't know what was missing."

Abellus' eyebrow twitched, and Nelrisheon smiled inwardly.

The two men had also known from the start that Megara's behavior was suspicious.

It was true that, as Megara said, it wasn't impossible for a high-ranking noble's child to hear school news quickly.

However, the timing of her arrival, with the suspect's name in hand, was too quick.

Until now, they had let it slide because they had seen the Rikendros Duke's face and thought it unlikely that the young girl would dare to steal the exam paper and frame someone.

Megara had never had the experience of perfectly hiding her true feelings in front of seniors who were much more experienced than her.

Her face momentarily showed her confusion, which at least Natasha and Nelrisheon didn't miss.

Abellus' eyes showed disappointment.

He didn't dislike petty schemes. In fact, he rather enjoyed them. However, he disliked fools who got caught so easily.

What was the point of using someone like that?

Although she couldn't read his mind, Megara felt a chill run down her spine due to the atmosphere around her. She spoke with a cute face, realizing that she had been too hasty. She clenched her fist, unseen.

"I mean, if someone was going to steal from the teacher's office, it's obvious. We can't just go to the teacher's office and ask questions at this time! Of course, the exam paper would be there. Neris must have stolen it!"

Nelrisheon smiled inwardly, a bit more deeply than before.

Megara's words were logically sound, but they were in stark contrast to what Neris had said earlier.

'That evaluation material' and 'exam paper'... weren't they completely different in specificity?

Aidalia stood beside Megara, unsure of what to do. Her face grew paler.

Things were unfolding differently from what Megara had said when she had asked to borrow Simon last night.

Neris would be expelled as soon as evidence was found, and they wouldn't be questioned.

But who would have thought that the evidence would disappear in an instant?

Aidalia spoke up, thinking that she had to do something to escape this terrible situation.

"Neris... it's strange that she's always getting first place. She's never gotten a question wrong... maybe even if the exam paper isn't found in her room, she's really good at memorization... maybe she memorized the questions and threw away the exam paper?"

You fool. Megara cursed Aidalia inwardly. She had gone too far. Who would make such a long-winded excuse that was so obviously suspicious?

Abellus, Natasha, and Nelrisheon almost understood the situation.

Nelrisheon lamented that innocent and kind Neris might not be able to safely attend school until he could use her.

Neris was just attending school peacefully, but how many people were already trying to pin strange crimes on her?

Natasha snorted in amusement.

"If she's smart enough to memorize all the questions overnight, she would have just studied for the test. You two, do you think the student council is a joke? Do you think we'll believe whatever you say? Take them to the reflection room, Your Highness!"

Aidalia panicked and tried to say that she wasn't the culprit, but Megara grabbed her hand and stopped her. If she said that now, it would be a complete confession.

Abellus was fed up.

Unlike Neris, Megara wasn't someone who could be easily threatened. Although the outline of the situation was clear, there was no evidence... yet.

"Nelrisheon, where is the exam paper, then?"

Abellus asked, ignoring the people in front of him as if they didn't exist. It was a habit of his to ask Nelrisheon when he didn't know something.

Nelrisheon replied politely, trying not to show that he had been expecting the question. In fact, he had already suspected that the exam paper might not exist.

Those two had made the student council search the Elandria family's rooms, so as the son of the main house, Nelrisheon couldn't just stand by and do nothing. If he did, something like this would happen again.

In fact, Nelrisheon's thinking wasn't entirely objective. Nobles were all related to each other, whether closely or distantly, through their family trees.

Even if he claimed that Neris, who had a different surname, was an Elandria family member and deserved respect, everyone would laugh. It was something Nelrisheon knew well himself.

However, he felt good when he thought of Neris as an "Elandria family member." So, he unconsciously pushed aside the awareness of the noble society's atmosphere.

"Why don't we search the dorms of Rikendros and Kendal, Your Highness?"

"Let's do that."

As soon as Abellus nodded, the attendant who had searched Neris' room earlier left the student council room.

Aidalia wasn't more flustered than before because she knew the exam paper wouldn't be in her or Megara's dorm. However, the humiliating treatment was still the same.

"Meg...".

Megara was annoyed by Aidalia's pleading gaze. Like Abellus, Megara was also fed up with the situation. She had expected to see something interesting, but this was what happened.

Earlier, Neris had said to Aidalia, "Thanks to your concern, everything is resolved."

Aidalia was a fool who had fallen for some trick, but... if that's what she wanted, then so be it. From the moment she lent her attendant, Megara had expected this outcome.

Megara's face suddenly became calm as she looked at Aidalia.

Aidalia stared back at Megara with wide eyes, taking in her unexpectedly gentle and unreadable expression.

After a moment, Megara spoke up.

"There's no need to search, Your Highness. It won't be anywhere... actually, I have something to confess."

The student council members, who had been whispering to each other about how to handle the situation, stopped talking and turned their attention back to Megara.

Megara looked up at Abellus with a pitiful expression that tugged at the heartstrings.

Abellus was taken aback by her innocent and helpless face. Could someone who looked so kind and well-raised really do something like this?

"What is it?" he asked, his voice softening.

Natasha scowled, and Nelrisheon clicked his tongue inaudibly. Nelrisheon knew Natasha's temper well.

"It's a big lie."

But even if that was the case, Megara's reputation would be ruined if she didn't get out of this situation.

"The truth is... Aidalia and I weren't together last night by coincidence. I stayed with her because she was scared."

What?

The timid Aidalia couldn't even speak up for herself. While she was speechless, Megara continued, as if confessing.

"I had enough time to figure out that the missing item was the exam paper. Yes, it's my fault. Aidalia studies hard, but her grades aren't what she wants... so she was upset. Last night, when class ended, Sheridan said he was going straight to the manor. I saw Aidalia send her attendant."

Natasha looked at Megara with a disbelieving expression, thinking that she was telling a blatant lie. Megara looked up at Abellus with tears in her eyes.

The student council members felt a pang of sympathy for her, thanks to her innocent and pitiful demeanor. Her words were hard to doubt.

Anyway, she was just a 1st-grader. And yet, she was telling the truth, even though she knew it would make her unpopular with her friend.

If Neris were here, she would have laughed at this absurd situation. A 1st-grader who was falsely accused of being a thief, with no friends to stand up for her?

But at least, this situation belonged to Megara.

Aidalia finally spoke up.

"When did I...!"

However, Aidalia was too flustered to defend herself properly. Megara continued, looking pitiful.

"I'm so sorry for lying to you, seniors. I'm really, really sorry. I'll accept any punishment."

"Hmm."

Megara's words sounded reasonable and explained the situation.

Of course, even if Megara's words were true, she wasn't entirely innocent. She had actively framed another friend to protect her own friend.

However, in the noble society where alliances were more important than truth, this wasn't a serious crime that was impossible to understand.

Abellus looked at the two girls and said, as if testing them.

"Tell me in detail what happened from last night."

"I didn't...! It was Megara!"

Aidalia's words were like a last resort, and she spoke with tears in her eyes. At that moment, Megara grabbed Aidalia's hand again, tightly enough to hurt.

Aidalia looked back at Megara, who smiled at her. The smile, which might have looked like encouragement to others, conveyed a different message to Aidalia alone.

Don't say anything reckless.

Even if the Kendal Duke wasn't as powerful as the Rikendros Duke, he was still a high-ranking noble. What would happen if she spoke out?

Aidalia hesitated for a moment but ultimately refused to back down and claimed her innocence.

"I didn't do it! I swear! Yesterday, Megara asked to borrow my attendant and told her to find Neris' dorm! Megara did it! Megara had my attendant put the exam paper in Neris' dorm!"

Some people with hot tempers glared, while others sighed inwardly. It wasn't pleasant to see two noble girls accusing each other, and Aidalia seemed more flustered.

Aidalia looked around at the gathering gazes and made a sad face.